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The protesters, from the Code Pink anti-war group, drew the
ire of the Arizona Republican who chairs the committee after
some of them approached Kissinger as he took his seat at a
hearing on global security.
Members of the group held up handcuffs and anti-Kissinger signs
and called for his arrest for "war crimes."
Addressing the hearing, McCain said: "I have been a member of
this committee for many years and I have never seen anything as
disgraceful and outrageous and despicable as the last
demonstration that just took place."
McCain said he would have Capitol Police arrest the protesters
if they did not "shut up." He then told them: "Get out of here,
you low-life scum."
In a statement afterward, McCain, who was held as a prisoner of
war in Vietnam, said the protesters had physically threatened
Kissinger, who was secretary of state from 1973-1977 under
Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.
“No American citizen testifying before the U.S. Congress should
be subjected to such treatment, particularly not a 91-year-old
former secretary of State who has served our nation with great
honor and distinction," he said.
In its own statement, the Code Pink group said it had been
attempting a "citizens arrest" of Kissinger and was "really
proud of our action in the Senate today."
It said its "arrest warrant" denounced Kissinger "for complicity
in the bombings in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; the overthrow of
the Allende government in Chile and the Indonesian invasion of
East Timor."
(Reporting by Peter Cooney; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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